Word meanings
- yajante
- worship
- sāttvikāḥ
- those in the mode of goodness
- devān
- celestial gods
- yakṣa
- semi-celestial beings who exude power and wealth
- rakṣānsi
- powerful beings who embody sensual enjoyment, revenge, and wrath
- rājasāḥ
- those in the mode of passion
- pretān-bhūta-gaṇān
- ghosts and spirits
- ca
- and
- anye
- others
- yajante
- worship
- tāmasāḥ
- those in the mode of ignorance
- janāḥ
- persons
Translations
The sattvic, or pure, men worship the gods; the rajasic, or passionate, worship the yakshas and rakshasas; the others, the tamasic or deluded people, worship ghosts and hosts of nature-spirits.
The pure worship the true God; the passionate, the powers of wealth and magic; the ignorant, the spirits of the dead and lower orders of nature.
Those with sattva quality worship the gods; those with rajas, the demigods and demons; and those with tamas, ghosts and hosts of spirits.
सात्त्विक मनुष्य देवताओंका पूजन करते हैं, राजस मनुष्य यक्षों और राक्षसोंका और दूसरे जो तामस मनुष्य हैं, वे प्रेतों और भूतगणोंका पूजन करते हैं।Commentary
Lord Krishna, after defining faith, tells Arjuna how this faith determines the object of worship. The nature of the faith (whether it is Sattvic? Rajasic or Tamasic) has to be inferred from its characteristic effects, viz., the worship of the gods and the like. Each man selects his object of worship according to the ruling Guna of his being. The expression of a mans faith depends on the Guna that is predominant in him. A Sattvic man will give his faith the Sattvic expression, a Rajasic man the Rajasic expression and a Tamasic man the Tamasic expression.
Sattvic persons or people with Sattvic faith who are devoted to the worship of the gods, are rare in this world. Yakshas are the brothers of Kubera, the lord of wealth gnomes, the spirits that guard wealth. Rakshasas Beings of strength and power such as Nairrita demons giants gifted with illusive powers. Bhutas Ghosts.